Athletes

Country

Sport

Name

Wilson Kipsang

Country: Kenya

Sport: Track & Field

Height: 6'0"
/ 1.83m

Weight: 137 lbs
/ 62.1 kg

Born: 3/15/1982

Career Highlights: Simply qualifying for the Olympics from Kenya's amazingly deep pool of marathoners is an achievement, and Kipsang got that honor even as world record holder Patrick Makau did not. Winning a marathon in the same city that the Games will be held surely helped. Kipsang ran away with April's London Marathon in 2 hours, 4 minutes, 44 seconds, about a minute slower than his time from the Frankfurt Marathon last October. He won that race for the second straight year in 2 hours, 3 minutes, 42 seconds - the second-fastest marathon of all time, narrowly missing Makau's 2:03:38. Those recent performances place Kipsang firmly among the favorites in London, although he'll have to overcome some challenges. The Olympic course is considerably different from the London Marathon, so he'll have to adjust his tactics, and the recovery time between the April race and August's Olympic competition is considered a quick turnaround for an elite marathoner. Also, despite the nation's dominance of many marathons around the world, Kenya has won just one Olympic gold in the event. Samuel Wanjiru broke the country's drought at the Beijing Games, but tragically died in a fall from a balcony last year.